This section is intended to provide a background or context to the invention that is recited in the claims. The description herein may include concepts that could be pursued, but are not necessarily ones that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, what is described in this section is not prior art to the description and claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
In recent years, flat-panel television units have become enormously popular in both the commercial and the residential sectors. As the prices for plasma and liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions have fallen, more and more businesses and individuals have purchased such devices both for business and home entertainment purposes.
One advantage of flat-panel television units is their relatively low thickness. Because conventional “tube” televisions have a relatively large depth, the display options for such devices are quite limited. In the residential setting, most users require a television stand or large entertainment center to store the television. Such stands or entertainment centers can take up significant floor space, which is often undesirable. In the commercial or educational setting, users will often install large overhead mounting systems that can contain the television. However, these systems usually require professional installation and, once the television is secured in the mount, it is often very difficult to access and adjust due to its height. With flat-panel televisions, however, users can simply mount the television directly to a wall or similar surface. Such arrangements eliminate the space-consuming floor stand and also take up less space than a ceiling mounted system, while also being more easily installable and adjustable by a user.
A number of adjustable flat panel wall mounting systems have been recently developed and commercialized, with such mounts enabling an attached flat panel television or similar display to tilt as needed. These mounts are typically manufactured in a variety of sizes, with smaller mounting systems being used to mount smaller devices and larger mounts being used to mount larger devices. However, this requires the manufacturer to design and develop mounts of multiple sizes, and installers and purchasers must choose the correct mount from several different mounts. This adds a level of complexity to everyone involved, while also increasing design and development costs for the manufacturer. It would therefore be desirable to provide a tilt mounting system that addresses these concerns.